Gamers play leaked copies of Halo 4 early, then get banned permanently

Microsoft is issuing permanent Xbox Live bans to individuals who’ve played Halo 4 early… well, and who were stupid enough to then connect their Xbox back to the internet. Microsoft has said that people who’ve played the game — through piracy, or purchasing a game off the back of a truck — are now being emailed about the ban, according to MCV.

The emails themselves say that each banned user has been “permanently suspended for illegitimate prerelease title play,” and continues to say that “Xbox Live privileges will not be reinstated.” This swing of the banhammer mirrors a similar one made by Microsoft regarding early access to Halo: Reach.

Speaking with Joystiq, Microsoft also confirmed that some users would be receiving both a ban on their gamertag and on their console, meaning they couldn’t sign-up for a new gamertag on the particular Xbox used to play Halo 4.

This news comes after the story last week where Microsoft acknowledged reports last week that Halo 4 had been leaked onto the internet. Microsoft maintains that it is “working closely with its security teams and law enforcement to address the situation.”